The worsening plight of children caught in armed conflict has once again come under the spotlight, following a recent meeting between Salaudeen Hashim, PhD, Programme Director at CLEEN Foundation, and Kristin, an education advocate.
The discussion highlighted the grave risks faced by children in fragile and conflict-affected regions, where insecurity, weak governance, and limited political will continue to expose them to violations such as attacks on schools, abductions, forced recruitment, and prolonged disruption of education.
A major concern raised was the government’s inability to effectively implement the Safe Schools Initiative and other national and international frameworks designed to safeguard education in conflict settings.
While these frameworks demonstrate formal commitment on paper, the gap between policy adoption and practical implementation remains wide.
Experts point to inadequate funding, poor inter-agency coordination, limited community engagement, and weak monitoring mechanisms as key factors undermining their effectiveness.
As a result, schools and learning environments in conflict-affected regions remain highly vulnerable to attacks by armed groups and criminal networks.
Hashim emphasised that without urgent action to bridge the implementation gap, children will continue to bear the brunt of violence, with their right to education increasingly jeopardised.
